One of Egypt's most cherished national dishes, ful medames has been a culinary staple for centuries. It's often eaten for breakfast because it's so hearty and filling-particularly as the early morning meal during Ramadan in preparation for a day of fasting. But Egyptians will eat ful at any time of day, and you'll never be far from a street vendor serving this delicious concoction in fresh-baked pita bread.

Ingredients

1 lb dried fava beans
Lightly salted water
½ cup red lentils
3 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
½ tsp cumin, ground
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup green onions, chopped

Preparation

1. Sort and rinse dried beans. Place in a large saucepan and cover with lightly salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cover. Simmer over low heat for 2 ½ hours, adding more water if necessary to keep beans covered.

2. Add lentils and cover. Simmer another 30 minutes, or until lentils and beans are tender and the mixture is thick and not soupy.

3. Stir in lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, salt, and freshly ground pepper.

4. Serve hot, sprinkling each serving with green onions.